Monk, 56, has spent the last 20 years shipping huge quantities of cannabis and cocaine into Britain

UK fugitive Paul Monk arrested in Alicante, Spain

Monk had been at large after slipping abroad in December 2013 despite being required to stay in the UK as part of a nine-year prison sentence for importing cannabis in 2007.

A European Arrest warrant was issued for him in May 2014.

After being captured by Spanish police, he was brought back to the UK on May 7 2015, where he was charged with supplying a kilogram of cocaine and was eventually charged for his hand in the supply operation in September 2016.

Detective Sergeant David Williams said: "Monk is a career criminal who showed a disregard for the laws of UK after he fled to Spain in 2013 to escape justice.

"He obtained false identity documents in order to evade authorities while he continued to run an international drug supply network from his home in Spain.

Monk is a career criminal who showed a disregard for the laws of UK after he fled to Spain in 2013 to escape justice.

Detective Sergeant David Williams

"After his arrest, expert analysis by Met detectives revealed the large scale of Monk's drug trafficking network and of the huge sums of money he was receiving for the illegal importation of cocaine to the UK.

"This evidence has proved crucial in establishing the pivotal role Monk played in the drugs network.